Grain-separator.



0. DAY. GRAIN SEPARATQR. APPLICATION rILnn SEPT. 23, 1913.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHOTO-LITHO. WASHINQ rQNv u 1:.

CLEVELAND DAY, or RAYVILLE, LOUISIANA.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Application filed September 23, 1913. Serial No. 791,303.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEVELAND DAY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at.

Rayville, in the parish of Richland and State of Louisiana, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Grain-Separators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to grain separators, and it more particularlyrelates to wind blast regulators.

One of the objects of the invention is, to provide for automaticallyregulating the volume of air passing through the fan of a grainseparator, by means of a governor which is directly connected to theshutters of the fan casing, and operatively connected to the threshingmechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved formof'governor and an improved form of connection between the governor andthe shutters; so that the operation of the shutters is substantiallysimultaneous with whatever change of speed may take place in thethreshing mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form ofdouble-acting governor, which is disposed on a horizontal axis, in themost convenient and only available position and location to attain thebest results in the work it is here designed to accomplish.

A further object is to provide an im proved form of governor aXle, whichis provided with removable tooth-engaging rings, the bosses of which maybe qulckly filed, ground, or turned off, so as to reduce the spacebetween the spaced elements thereof, for taking up lost motion, andthereby assuring perfect and instantaneous action of the governor.

1 Another object is to generally improve and simplify devices of thischaracter and to reduce the expense of manufacture to the minimum. 1

In the accompanying drawings, which supplement this specification,Figure1 is a side elevation view of the device which constitutes my invention;Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, the spring 35 being eliminated, forthe sake of clearness. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, enlarged, of therocker shaft and connecting arms.

Referring to these drawings, in which similar reference charactersdesignate similar parts, throughout the several views; the

governor frame 10 is provided with bearings 11 whichcarry the governor,and also with bearings 12 and 18 which carryrthe shafts or axles 14: and15,-respectively.

A hanger or bearing l6 is provided on the main frame 17 "whichconstitutes a part of the thresher mechanism, and a rotary shaft 18constitutes an element of the fan which is inclosed. by the fan-casing19, of

ordinary construction; shutters 20 being 4 provided at the oppositeendsthereof. .By

this fan the chaff and straw are separated from the gra1n,-1n a mannerwell known by those who are familiar with the art; the shaft 18 beingrotated by its connection with the threshing mechanism (not shown) i theshaft 1% beingvalso adaptedto be, connected to the threshing mechanismin any proper way.

The rocker I p shaft 15"ca 'rr1es radial arms 15 at its opposite ends,and these arms are I each connected to one of the shutters 20 by one ofthe links 21, pivotally connected to said shutter, and adjustablyconnected to the arm 15 by a movable pivot member. The shutters arepreferably crescent shaped,

.and are pivotally connected to the hanger 16 at 16; while their upperends are adapt- I ed to be swung apart by means of a balanced connectinglever 22, links 23, and the link 21; the lever 22 being pivoted mediallyto the hanger 16, andthe links 23 eachhaving one end pivoted to thelever 22, and its other end pivoted to one of the shutters,

so that the said shutters are cooperatively connectedtogethen'so as'tobe operated in unison and with m1n1mum reslstance.

The double-acting governor is rotatably' supported by the hangers 11,and comprises, a tubular journal or main governorsleeve 24, alongitudinally movable governor shaft 25, governor-arms 26,-governorsprings 27 and a gear wheel 28, the latter meshingwith a gear wheel 29,on the shaft 14. The governor arms are each provided with a ball or 1weight 26 at one end, and with teeth 26 at its other end. The tubularjournal 24: is

apertured medially and atone end, and the toothed ends of the governorarms 26 are pivotally connected at 24 to this member2t and extendedthrough the apertures into the axial bore thereof. There are two pairsof governor arms 26, each pair of which is disposed in a radial plane atright angles to the plane of the other pair, and the springs 27 serve tonormally hold the governor arms substantially in axially parallelrelation and to counteract gravity when the respective arms are turnedinto depending position. The governor shaft comprises two series ofannular teeth or rings 33; said rings being demountably secured on therod 30 by a nut 34, on the screw-threaded end of the rod, and therebyheld tightly between said nut and a shoulder of the rod, not shown. Thisrod may be screw-threaded, for holding an adjusting nut 35, theapertured end 30* of the shaft being loosely pivoted to an arm 15,fixedly secured on the shaft 15. The teeth or spaced annular ridges 33of the governor shaft engage with the teeth 26 of the governor arms 26and coact therewith for reciprocating the governor shaft as the speed ofthe threshing mechanism alternately increases and decreases; so as tooscillate the shaft 25 and coact therewith and with the elements, 15,21, 22 and 23, for imparting opening and closing movements to theshutters, in an obvious manner, instantly and simultaneously with themove ments of the governor arms. ld hen the teeth 26 and the rings 83have-become worn to such an extent as to cause lost motion of thegovernor arms, the rings may be removed from the rod 30 and have theirvbosses dressed off, so as to lessen the distance between the ridgesthereof; and after thus adjusting the rings, the nut 34 is seatedfarther inward of the rod. A spring 35 is secured to the arm 15 and toone of the hangers '11 for assisting the springs 27 in holding thegovernor shaft in its normal position, and co-acting with the governorshaft for holding the shutters in their normal open position. The normalposition of the shutters may be adjusted by means of the nut or collar35, or by changing the pivotal connection of the arm 15 and the link 21.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that when the speed ofthe threshing machine increases, the shuttersare moved proportionately.toward their closed position; so that the volume of air passing throughthe fan is diminished; but when,

because of an excess of grain and straw passing through the threshingmachine, the speed thereof is lessened, the volume of air through thefan casing is increased.

It will be seen that I have provided an air or draft regulating deviceof this character which is fully capable of attaining the desiredobjects set forth in the preceding paragraphs.

While I have illustrated and described what I now consider thepreferable embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to these exact details of construction,combination and arrangement of parts; it is only limited by a reasonableinterpretation of the claim.

I claim: a

The combination in a grain separating mechanism, of a main framecomprising a pair of horizontal beams, a fan casing supported by themain frame, a horizontal axle journaled within the fan casing andcarrying a fan, a governor frame secured to and depending from the mainframe, a governor carried by said governor frame and comprising ahorizontal axle mounted at right angles to the first said horizontalaxle and approximately on the same horizontal plane tl1erewith,saidgovernor axle comprising a central andlongitudinally movable rod, ahorizontal rocker shaft mounted in a plane above said axles and havingdepending arms, a pair of shutters for the fan casing, said pair ofshutters being operatively connected together so as to move in unison, alink connecting one of said de pending arms of the roclrer shaft withone of said shutters, and the other said arm of the rocker shaft beingpivotally connected to said longitudinally movable rod of the governorand being thereby adapted to be actuated for actuating the saidshutters.

In testimony of the foregoing I hereby affix my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

CLEVELAND DAY. l Vitnesses R. O. Nonwoon, A. A. ABELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' v Washington, D. G.

